Method of inhibiting the growth of mold



Patented Aug. 3, 194s 2,446,505

f *uNi TgoY STATES PATENT F Mn'rnoo or mmnrrmo THE onow'rn or MOLD SimonWell Arenson, Baltimore, Md., assig'nor to Doughnut Corporation ofAmerica, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York No Drawing.Application April 12, on, Serial No. 661,866

7 Claims. (Cl. 167-22) l 2 Myinvention relates to a method and meansPropylene glycol monopropionate of inhibiting mold growth and a methodand Propylene'glycoldipropionate means of inhibiting the growth ofmicroorgan- Propylene glycol monobutyrate isms responsible for thecondition known as ropi- Propylene glycol di-butyrate ness in cerealproducts. 5 Propylene glycol monovalerate The main object of myinvention is the pro- Propylene glycol divalerate vision of a method ofinhibiting the growth of Propylene glycol monocaproate mold, and thedevelopment of roplness in cereal Propylene glycol dicaproate products;and associated therewith as a main vob- Propylene glycol monoheptanateject is the provision of a product to inhibit the Propylene glycoldiheptanate growth of mold and development of ropiness in Propyleneglycol monocaprylate cereal products. Propyleneglycol dicaprylateAnother object of my invention is the utillza- Propylene glycolmonopelargonate tion of esters of propylene glycol to prevent orPropylene glycol dipelargonate inhibit the growth of mold, and thedevelopment Propylene glycol monocaprate of ropiness in cereal products.Propylene glycol dicaprate Another object of my invention is theutiliz'a- I h v ound e flea! h h fen W .tion of esters of dipropyieneglycol to prevent or tars 3 f g g g i i g g d for inhibit the growth ofmold, and the development the practice my invention, of ropiness incereal products.

Still another objectpf my invention is the utipr p l y ol monoacetatelization of monoand iii-esters of propylene g-lyi y e g yc l diacetatecol with the straight chain, saturated, mon0carl py y ol p p naiieboxylic acids of from 2 through 10 carbon atoms, propylene glycoldipropionate to prevent or inhibit the growth of mold, and pylene glycolm'onobutyrate the development of ropiness in cereal products. o yl nelycol di tyrate Still another object of m invention is the utip pyl e yolm n va-l rate lization of monoand di-esters of dipropylene py n lycoldivalerate glycol with the straight chain, saturated, monoi py ene gycol monocaproate carboxylic acids of from 2 through 10 carbon p opv neelycol icap oate atoms, to prevent or inhibit the growth of mold, pyleneglycol monoheptanate and the development of ropiness in cereal prodlpylene'glyc ldi p na e ucts, Dipropylene glycol monocaprylate Other andfurther objects of m invention will, i pyl n y l d ap ylat in part, bepointed out specifically hereinbelow, l' p glycol nionopelargonate andstill others will be apparent from the followlpr pylene glycoldi-pelargonate ing description of my invention and its practice.Dipmpylene glycol monocaplate I have discovered that the growth of moldsDipropylene lycol dicapra're $1161} m- Penicillin?" glaucum I have foundfurther that .the mono-esters of Penzcilizum expansum, Rhzzopus aim-ans,Tri- 40 propylene glycol are well adapted for the cothecium roseum andother common molds, as practice f my invention and cite herembelow Wellas organisms 0f mesefltericus group two specific mono-esters ofpropylene glycol as such as Bacillus mesenterzcus vulgatus (whichexamples:

causes ropiness in cereal products) may be inhiblted or entirelyprevented by the utilization of 4.5 PmPYlene glycol monopropionatemonoand di-esters of 1-2 propylene glycol or Propyleneglycolmonopelargonate monoand di-esters of dipropylene glycol with Ihave found also that the di-ester a e well the straight chain,saturated, monocarboxylic adapted for the practice of my invention andcite acids of from 2 through 10 carbon atoms in quanbelow two specificdiesters of propylene glycol as titles sumcient to be effective. 5oexamples;

I have found specifically that the following esters of 1-2 propyleneglycol are well adapted to Pmpylene glycol dlflcetate the practice of myinvention: Propylene ly ol dlcapra e Propylene glycol monoacetate I havefound further that the following mixed Propylene glycol diacetate estersare well adapted for the practice of my as low as is of 1% inthedough-or batterlbe invention and cite below two mixed esters of l-2propylene glycolas examples thereof:

Propylene glycol butyrate heptanate Propylene glycol capryla'tecaproa'te Also, I have found that a mixture of any of the esters is welladapted for the practice of my invention. and cite below as an example amixture of esters of propylene glycol.

Propylene glycol monopropionate Propylene glycol monoacetate These maybe mixed together in any desired proportions, and the resultant mixturewill accomplish the desired results.

Also, I have found that the mono-esters of dipropylene glycol are welladapted for the practice of my invention, and cite below two mono estersof dipropylene glycol as examples thereof:

Dipropylene glycol monoacetate Dipropylene glycol monopelargonate Also,I have found that di-esters of di-propylene glycol are well adapted forthe practice of my invention, and cite below the two di-esters ofdipropylene glycol as examples thereof:

Dipropylene glycol dipropionate Dipropylene glycol diheptanate Also, Ihave foundthat the mixed esters of dipropylene glycol are well adaptedfor the prac= tice of my invention and cite below two mixed esters ofdipropylene glycol as examples thereof:

Dipropylene glycol caproatev butyrate Dipropylene glycol valeratecaprylate Further, I have found that a. mixture of any of the esters iswell adapted for the practice of my invention, and cite below an exampleof a mixture of esters of dipropylene glycol.

Dipropylene glycol moncacetate Dipropyleneglycol monopelargonatePropylene glycol diproprlonate Dipropylene glycol monoacetate These maybe mixed together'in any desired'proportions, and the resultant mixturewill accomplish the desired results.

fore baking. As an alternative, I may spray or brush-apply the esters onthe finished and baked products. As another alternative, I may apply theesters to the material in which the Products are wrapped or incorporateit in the wrapping material. and I have found-that after either of thesetreatments the foods' do not develop mold or roplness for a much longerperiod of time than do foods not so treated. The natural flavor oi thecereal bakery products is maintained due to the inhibiting action of theesters on the molds, and the B. mesentericus group which tend to unpartundesirable tastes to the products in which they grow.

In the treatment of food products susceptible to mold growth, other thanbakery cereal products, these non-toxic esters may be used withadvantage, They may be incorporated in the food product during itsprocessing; they may be sprayed or brush-applied on the finishedproduct, or they may be put on or in thematerialused to wrap the foodproduct, with marked inhibition of mold growth.

In the treatment of textile fibres or the like I have found that suchmaterial when dipped in or sprayed with the above identified esterseither full strength, or in concentrations of as low as 1% and evenless, effectively resist the growth of fungi and mildew. Since theparticular compounds referred to above are fat soluble and only slightlysoluble in water, they penetrate into the fibres and thus provideprolonged protection.

In the treatment of leather and the like, my esters may be applied byspraying the same thereon or by dipping the material to be treatedthereinto either full strength or in relatively low concentrationsthereof.

In their application to fungus diseases of the skin, especiallyathlete's foot" or epidermophytosis commonly believed caused by the moldTrichophyton interdigitale, there are various ways in which my estersmay be used. The liquid esters may be applied directly to the infectedarea by swabbing or by incorporation into an ointment or salve and soapplied. Further the esters can be incorporated into an inert powder ina quantity sufficient to be active yet not too great to wet the powder,and the resulting product dusted over the infected areas.

Asset forth in the above description of my invention, my compounds maybe used either singly or in combination, or in various mixtures thereofin a variety of concentrations and they will still be eifective ininhibiting the growth of the types of microorganisms mentioned above.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

All of these compounds are to all practical intents and purposes onlyslightly soluble in water.

They are all esters of propylen glycol or its polymer dipropyleneglycol, with straight chain, saturated, aliphatic monocarboxylic acidsof from 2 through 10. carbons atoms. Physically the esters. are fat-likeliquids and their principal distinguishing characteristic is that theyare either fat soluble or fat dispersible.

The following are exemplary methods of practicing my invention. 7 g

In treating food products, as cereal bakery products-. made-fromglutenous flour, whether Ill leavenedchemically, by" yeastfermentation, or

by mechanicalincorn ration of air. .I in; corporate the non-toxic estersin concentration 1. The method of inhibiting the growth of mold whichcomprises applying to the locus of infection an esterification productof a member selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol anddipropylene glycol with the straight chain, saturated, monocarboxyllcacid of the group from 2 to 10 carbon atoms.

2. The method of inhibiting the growth of mold which comprises applyingto the locus of infection a concentration of less than one percent of anesterification product of a member selected from the group consisting ofpropylene glycol and dipropylene glycol with the straight chain,saturated, monocarboxylic acid of the group from 2 to 10 carbon atoms.

3. The method of inhibiting the growth of mold which comprises applyingto the locus of infection .anesterification product ofpropylene glycolwith ,the straight chain, saturated, monocarboxylic acid of the groupfrom 2 to 10 carbon atoms.

4. The method of inhibiting the growth of mold which comprises applyingto the locus of infection an esterification product of dipropyleneglycol with the straight chain, saturated, monocarboxylic acid of thegroup from 2 to 10 carbon atoms.

5. The method of claim 3, in which the esteriflcation product ispropylene glycol propionate pelargonate.

6. The meth'od of claim 3, in which the esteriflcation product ispropylene glycol diacetate.

"I. The method of claim 4, in which the esterification product isdipropylene glycol diacetate.

SIMON WEIL ARENSON.

6 REFERENCES crrEn The followihg references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

5 UNITED STATES ATENTs Number Name Date 1,534,752 Watson Apr. 21, 19251,627,963 Fuller May 10, 1927 2,154,449 Hoffman et a1 Apr. 18, 19392,338,184 Kaufman Jan. 4, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date515,306 Germany Oct. 29, 1931

